Stay Informed!

Pre-Conference Sessions

Pre-Conference sessions were held all day on September 21, 2010 and the morning of September 22, 2010. If you were able to attend one of these dynamic workshops and would like to share your feedback with the CFED community, please email info@cfed.org.

State & Local Asset Policy Coalition Pre-Conference Session

9:00 AM on Sept. 21 to 12:00PM on Sept. 22

Agenda

State and local asset policy coalitions are at the leading edge of efforts to create a national asset policy movement. Whether you are part of a well-established coalition or just figuring out your policy agenda and coalition structure, this session is for you. Participants will be paired with others at similar stages of development to work through key issues facing asset policy coalitions:

• Planning and evaluation
• Framing and messaging
• Using technology to build membership base, raise funds and advocate for policy change
• Creating synergy between local, state, regional and national efforts

Native Asset Building Pre-Conference Session

9:00 AM to 12:00PM on Sept. 21

This three hour pre-conference session focused on the positive actions in Indian country to embrace integrated asset building. The session explored ways that communities excel in offering a variety of asset-building services to their members. Successful programs for Individual Development Accounts (IDA), Financial Education and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) / Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) were showcased.

For questions, please contact Jaci Ree at Oweesta jaci@oweesta.org or 605-342-3770.

Credit Builders Alliance "Credit is an Asset" Training Workshop

1:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sept. 21st continues 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Sept. 22

Challenge yourself to re-think credit, integrate credit building as a powerful asset-building tool, and learn innovative financial capability strategies to help your clients from outreach to outcome! This eight hour interactive pre-conference training workshop starts with an overview of the changing credit industry and then offers specific strategies for nonprofits to integrate delivery of appropriate financial services and products into their lending, technical assistance and financial education activities. In addition, the workshop offers our Credit Builder 5-Step(c) model that presents a way to build client capacity and measure financial capability. This workshop is a must for beginner and advanced asset-building practitioners. You will walk away with a better understanding of today's credit economy and a new asset-based approach to credit that works from outreach to outcome!

Please email info@creditbuildersalliance.org or call CBA at (202) 730-9390 for more information.

Home Town Competitiveness Workshop

9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Sept. 22

This workshop provides an introduction to HomeTown Competitiveness (HTC) a rural community development strategy that focuses on four Pillars: Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Youth Engagement and Community Philanthropy. HTC, winner of the Innovative Program of the Year Award from the Community Development Society, is in widespread use in nearly a dozen states and is producing remarkable results for small towns facing population decline and economic distress.

For more information please go to http://www.heartlandcenter.info/institutes.htm

Assets for Independence Resource Center, Financial Education Academy

Content and Skills for Making Financial Education Effective and Engaging: Level II

9:00 AM to 5: 00 PM on Sept. 21 continues 8:30 AM to 12:00PM on Sept. 22

This Assets for Independence (AFI) Academy will provide IDA project and partner staff with the opportunity to further develop their financial education facilitation skills and content knowledge on advanced financial education topics. The academy is open to representatives of organizations that are administering IDA projects, including those that do not currently have an AFI grant.

The academy will feature training on:
Using new activity ideas in the context of financial education. Facilitating sessions on:
principles of saving and investing in the new economy,
asset protection,
consumer protections including consumer rights and responsibilities
and credit scoring. Understanding the core concepts of behavioral economics and how these may apply to financial education and savings program design. Keeping participants motivated during the financial education learning process and using new skills following the conclusion of the financial education. Integrating concepts of media literacy into financial education efforts. Facilitating sessions on budgeting for people at different stages of life.
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Eliza Kean at the AFI Resource Center, 1-866-778-6037.

Financial Capability Innovation Fund Bidders Meeting

Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Room: Washington 5

On September 1, 2010, CFSI, the leading national expert on the underbanked, released a new request for proposals (RFP) to its Financial Capability Innovation Fund seeking new and improved nonprofit-led projects that promote the financial capability of low-income, underserved consumers. CFSI will award $1.25-$1.5 million total to 4-6 leading nonprofit innovators with the average award size ranging from $200,000-$300,000. To learn more about this funding opportunity and to download the RFP, visit www.cfsinnovation.com/financialcapability.

CFSI is hosting a Bidders Meeting at the Assets Learning Conference to review the RFP and to answer questions from potential applicants.  Speakers will include Sarah Gordon, Senior Relationship Manager at CFSI.